Islam

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Pillars of Islam | Spirit of Ramadan

The command to fast has been given in detail in the Quran. We quote here the relevant verses:

According to a tradition, Prophet Muhammad observed: “The month of fasting is the month of compassion.” (Mishkat al-Masabih, 1/613). That is, it is a month in which people are helped and shown compassion. This is the human aspect of fasting. That is why the Prophet and his followers used to be generous in giving alms to the poor and needy during this period. No one who asked for anything was ever turned away without his needs being met. One Hadith to this effect is that, whoever feeds the hungry in the month of Ramadan will be forgiven by God on the Last Day.

Fasting (sawm) is the third pillar of Islam. Right from dawn till dusk, a man who is strictly on a fast will neither eat as much as one morsel of food nor drink a single drop of water. By submitting to this discipline, that is, by depriving himself of the prime necessities of life, man learns the valuable lesson of fortitude. With no food and drink, he naturally feels hungry and thirsty, and his strength begins to ebb.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Pillars of Islam

During the month of Ramadan fasting for the whole month has been made obligatory for all Muslims. The Quran tells us: “Believers, fasting has been prescribed for you, just as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard yourselves against evil.” (2:183)